Following Stars
by Cardinal Rose
Summary: Dr John Noble is a university student by day, and top secret UNIT operative by night. Attending uni with his best friends and twin sister, was made all the more difficult by their extracurricular activities. Until one night, he meets Rose Tyler and leaves an impression she'll never forget. Life, love and friendship. This story is about the slow path, and how it can be brilliant.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:**

**Hi everyone!**

**Welcome to my labour of love. This is the beginning of a long series in Dr Who AU goodness.**

**The summary really doesn't do it justice, so I'll quickly clarify.**

**Following Stars is a university au initially that will span at least five years in the life of the characters. It will be a slow burn Ten/Rose romance, with other pairings including Donna/Lance (very minor and short), Harry/Lucy Saxon (not for ages), and Jack/Ianto (also not for a while).**

**I'm not going to spoil anything, but if you want clarification on any of the pairings please PM me, I'll happily chat about it and where I see this going if you really can't wait.**

**One final note, this stoes will feature good Master, because that friendship I can't resist.**

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Chapter 1

Dr John Noble, MD, was nineteen years old and facing a bit of a conundrum. You see, he was a second year student at Cambridge University and living a dangerous life by night. He and his best friends Jack Harkness and Harry Saxon were freelancers for UNIT in their free hours, and during more than a few study hours as well. It was a life and thrill that they loved - they couldn't get enough. Jack and his WW2 era captains clothing was away at an extra credit aeronautics conference in Switzerland, and that meant that John and Harry would have to tackle their latest assignment on their own. No matter how desperate the situation, John was not going to involve his sister Donna at this point of their academic year. Donna was a busy business major, juggling that and dealing with their overbearing mother, and John's various antics to top it all off. Jack was a flirtatious American aeronautics student minoring in WW2 History and flirting with anything that moved. Harold 'Koschei' Saxon was an unqualified genius, just like John, studying mechanical engineering, physics, horology, astrophysics and political sciences, and others. John himself was studying multiple degrees, including astrophysics, physics, philosophy, nuclear physics, engineering, musical theory, mathematics, chemistry, criminology, astronomy, history, genetics, horology, and quantum mechanics, and others.

John scuffed the tips of his off white Converses into the concrete of the parking area, waiting for Harry to leave his last lecture of the day. Donna and her current boyfriend Lance (John didn't like him - it was a brother thing) walked by, chatting away, and Harry finally emerged. Dressed in his usual black Savile Row suit, Harry looked more like a businessman than a mechanical engineering student, but they'd always delighted in flying in the face of convention. Harry's black cashmere coat fluttered behind him, completing an already impressive image, if it weren't for the Tellytubby sticking out of his satchel. "Mechanical engineers, always arriving ten minutes late" John quipped, since Jack wasn't around to do it.

"Theta, I'm enjoying my week without that annoyance of yours" Harry commented slowly, narrowing light brown eyes at his fellow genius. "I'd like to continue to do so."

"Ready to go, Kosch?" John asked, bouncing on the spot. Harry gave him a look that said he was always ready and rolled his eyes, making a beeline for John's beaten-up bigger on the inside royal blue Aston Martin.

"London here we come" Harry deadpanned, rifling through a packet of jelly babies. "Hope we're there by nightfall, there's nothing like doing a job under the cover of darkness."

"Why Master, you're a romantic" John grinned, smoothly putting them on the road to London. Harry made a rude gesture and put the Scissor Sisters on the radio. John shuddered but suffered in silence, knowing he'd tortured Harry on enough occasions with his love for the music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. "We're not going to have to blow it up, are we?"

"It always pays to be prepared, Theta" Harry chided, sending another poor jelly baby to its demise.

"Like Cardiff?" John asked innocently. Harry glared at him, looking far more like his UNIT self than usual.

"We don't talk about Cardiff, Theta" Harry informed him with dignity. John let out a laugh, pulling down the window and enjoying the drive back to the city they called home - when they weren't busy blowing all expectations at Cambridge.

Rose Tyler, eighteen year old shopgirl and student of art at the University of London, was having one of those days. Her younger brother Tony (now eleven) was being a terror, and her mum was driving her up the wall. So, she had decided to take a leaf out of her father's book and join her friend Shareen on her shift at Henrik's. Unfortunately, she had no idea that tonight her life would change forever. It was fairly quiet until closing time, Rose using the time to work on her essay for her art history class. She found a quiet place behind a mannequin and settled in, quickly becoming absorbed in her work. Night fell quickly and Rose was forgotten about in her quiet corner, paving the way for the adventure to come. In the distance, the side door lock was jimmied, two suit clad young men slipping soundlessly in. Well, as soundlessly as could be expected when a gobby bloke was jabbering away in his estuary English accent. A loud crash fifteen minutes later jolted Rose out of her haze, and she jumped to her feet, looking around and noticing that she was all alone in the shop after-hours. She'd inherited a streak for adventure straight from her dad, and didn't think twice about following the noise. Something fishy was going on and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

Trainer-clad feet led her down to the basement. The noises coming from there were rather odd. Clings, clangs, bangs, tings and muffled voices only proved to Rose that whatever was going on was certainly not approved by the new management. The door was slightly ajar, and Rose crept forward to have a look-see. Two figures were moving around in the dark, long coats flapping about the legs of their suit trousers. One of them had sort of average hair, while the other had what Rose would eternally describe as some really great hair - all sticky up and gravity defiant. She strained her ears and picked up what they were saying, even though most of it made absolutely no sense to her. "For Rassilon's sake, Theta, I've told you. There's nobody here and you said it yourself - this stuff is toxic."

"There's got to be another way, Koschei" the bloke with the really great hair sighed. "I don't like arbitrarily deciding."

"We don't have time to call UNIT, Doctor" the other bloke said in a well-educated vaguely Manchurian accent. "If the timer goes off, we both know what'll happen. And even if we weren't geniuses, it wouldn't take rocket scientists to work out the fallout of this." Rose watched as the other bloke took a step back, as if trying to lessen the pressure on the really great haired bloke. "But you're the team leader, Doctor. You tell me." He let out a shuddering sigh, head falling forwards into his hands, obscuring Rose's view of his head.

"Your plan works, Master. We'll follow it." They left Rose's field of vision, so she did what felt right. She walked right in there.

"Three minutes, Thei!" Rose switched on the light and sent glares at the two stunned men. They were both dressed in suits (hardly suitable for clandestine operations - just because she was a South Londoner, didn't mean she was stupid), and gaped at her like they'd never seen a girl before. Rose crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her almond eyes at the cute one with the really great hair.

"What is going on here?"

"Stocktake" the black suited one said sarcastically, moving towards an entrance. "Doctor, we don't have time for this." At any other time, the look that the cute one sent at his clearly very close friend would have been hilarious, but she was cold, tired, hungry and confused as anything by their appearance in the shop basement.

"What's your name?" Great hair asked in a surprising Estuary English accent.

"Rose Tyler." He grinned brightly, as if that was the best thing he'd heard all day.

"Hello, Rose Tyler, I'm the Doctor, that's the Master. And now" he took her hand. "Run!" Their feet pounded in perfect harmony, taking turns Rose didn't even know existed, until they hit the sudden chill of the late autumn night. The Doctor grinned at her, starlight reflected in his luminous brown eyes. Behind them, Henrik's was levelled in a fiery explosion. When Rose looked again, the Doctor was gone.

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**Thanks for reading.**

**First review will get free sneak preview of Chapter 2 (if you want).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:**

**Hello again, everyone! Thank you so much for reading! And following! And favouriting!**

**Special thanks to Dreamcatcher56 for being the first ever review for this story!**

**And now, on with the sho****w...**

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Chapter 2

The sound of a door slamming jolted John from a dream of a blonde goddess with a tongue in teeth grin and the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. He groaned and glared at the person rude enough to interrupt his peaceful slumber. Laughing blue eyes, a charming smile, and suspenders over a deep blue shirt were all that John took in before he slumped back into his pillow. "Welcome back, Jack" John offered, voice still groggy from sleep. "How was the trip?"

"Doc, I tell ya, you should've come with me." Jack grinned brightly, eyes twinkling like sapphires. "I've got two words for you; identical triplets."

"You're a perverted man, Jack Harkness" the London accent of Martha Jones, medical student announced from outside the room.

"Thank you" Jack preened, hooking his fingers into his suspenders.

"Doctor, we're going to be late for class" Martha reminded, tapping on the door. He ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it a bit. He was starting to regret agreeing to be the TA for Martha's course on cardiology.

"Five minutes, Martha" John called, rushing past Jack to quickly ready himself for the day. Martha Jones was his confidant in a way that Jack and Harry (who'd known him forever) could never be. She listened with an impartiality that they couldn't emulate, and they had surpassed the tricky area of friendship and were now as close as siblings.

Martha was on a health kick at the moment, so they (Jack, John, Martha, Harry and Donna) left the repurposed warehouse they called home, and walked the distance to their colleges. Jack was leading them on a new shortcut he swore worked, when they passed a small church. A congregation of people were singing Old Rugged Cross, reminding the quintet of their fateful trip to New York last year. People were trapped on the Subway, including them, but hysteria didn't break out. It was one of the rare times when humanity's innate goodness shone through. They'd sung the Old Rugged Cross, their voices echoing off the tunnel walls and creating a harmony that was as sad as it was beautiful. Now, late as they were, they stopped and listened to the haunting beauty of the song, remembering and murmuring the words along with the congregation. "So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown." On the subway, they had had their faith, perhaps not in a higher power, but certainly in one another. To them, that was what that song represented.

"Still beautiful" Martha murmured, tears in her brown eyes.

"Yeah" John agreed, managing a smile for his friends and twin sister. Donna wrapped an arm around his and Martha took his hand, and they continued on their way, some part of them connected with the rest. Harry was the first to have to go, slipping into an early political sciences lecture, followed by Donna who was late for a business study group. Jack grinned and joined a crowd of people for an aerodynamics lecture, and John and Martha made their way to the lecture hall for cardiovascular infections.

Seven hours of long classes later, John was still going. He and Harry were working on their astrophysics essays, and Jack was joining them to pick their brains about the unsung stories of World War II. The whole gang was going to meet up at their usual haunt - a chip shop - and would probably end up pouring themselves into a cab to go home to the warehouse. Jack's entrance was as grand as ever, the handsome American flirting with the waitresses as he made his way to their corner booth. "I'm dropping history" Jack announced suddenly to a complete lack of reaction from his friends.

"Just like last week" Harry agreed in bored tones.

"And the week before that" John added brightly. "And pretty much every week since you started taking it. Face it, Jack, you like the class."

"And you also like complaining about it" Harry piped up. "It suits your melodramatic side."

"I hate you both" Jack said clearly, pointing at the both of them. "On the bright side, Donna said you blew up a department store. What was the story with that?"

"I'd like to know that too" a cheeky South London accent announced, John startling so much he soaked his chips in vinegar. He clapped a hand over his furiously beating hearts, mouth open slightly as he just gaped at the pink and yellow girl in front of him.

"Your boss was soaking everything from the clothes to the mannequins in a highly dangerous experimental toxin" Harry stated bluntly. "It was either blowing up the building or condemning hundreds of innocent people to a slow and agonising death." John scrubbed a hand over his face, knowing that there was no way Rose could let them escape punishment for their actions. She looked from Harry to John and back again, curiosity in her doe brown eyes.

"Who _are_ you?"

"Mostly we're normal university students" John grinned, loving that this brilliant girl was giving them a chance. "But sometimes, just sometimes we're so much more. We freelance, have been for years."

"UNIT" Harry clarified. "The Unified Intelligence Taskforce. They don't exist, but they need people willing and smart enough to do what has to be done to defend humanity from the-"

"Scum of the Earth" Jack finished helpfully. "We're only nineteen, but trust me criminals of a certain calibre do fear our names."

"Our codenames, at least" John agreed, slapping Jack's hand away from his chips. "What are you doing here, Rose Tyler?"

"Mum didn't want me staying in London after the shop blew up" Rose replied, clearly deciding she could trust them. "So I transferred here to finish my degree. Art and Art History." She cheekily pinched one of his chips. "What about you?"

"Jack Harkness" Jack flirted harmlessly. "The Captain. I'm here studying aeronautics and minoring in WW2 History. I've been the Doc's best friend since we were three. Jelly Baby came later."

"Only five years later, Harkness" Harry bit out, looking this close to stabbing him with a plastic fork.

"You're the Master?" Rose checked, getting a nod in reply.

"Harold Saxon, technically Lord, but just call me Harry. Thei will kill me if I did any less." Harry sent a smirk in John's direction. "I'm not a showoff like this one, so I'm just studying mechanical engineering, astrophysics, political sciences, physics, horology, quantum mechanics and penology."

"Yeah, only" Jack rolled his eyes, parrying the fork with a soggy chip.

"So what are you doing, Doctor?" Rose teased with another tongue in teeth grin. "Demolition?" John grinned and hummed a happy note.

"Actually Koschei set the explosives."

"Oh get on with it, John" Jack huffed, eyes rolling.

"John?" Rose queried, sounding surprised.

"Dr John Noble" John clarified. "Also technically a Lord, and yes a doctor already. A proper one that is. Mum insisted on my being one. I'm back here studying what I want to. Astrophysics, Astronomy, Chemistry, History, Horology, Physics, Philosophy, Quantum Mechanics, Engineering, Criminology, Nuclear Physics, Genetics, Cryptology, Cosmology, Cometology, Astrogeology, Astroseismology, Electrochemistry , Exobiology, Mathematics." He saw the look of surprise on her face and grinned. "I get bored."

"You forgot Musical Theory" Donna announced dryly. "I should apologise. My brother is rude and not ginger. Which, apparently, is a lifelong problem for him." She smiled in greeting to Rose. "I'm Donna Noble, the skinny idiot's younger twin sister. The General, to those in the underground. I'm also a business major. John got the brains and I got the hair."

"Don't knock the hair" John complained, pouting rather spectacularly at his sister.

"Hush" Donna ordered, taking a seat near Rose. "So, you know about us. What about you?"

"My Mum and Dad live near London now, I grew up in a council estate until Dad's schemes finally paid off. They have a Manor now. Um, my brother Tony is eleven and a terror, and I've wanted to be a artist forever really." She grinned, a perfect smile. "And I have an unhealthy sense of adventure. My Mum is a stay at home mum, and my Dad is Pete Tyler of Vitex Industries."

"Orphaned when I was three" Jack announced, matter-of-factly. "I'm over it now."

"Orphaned recently and not a moment too soon" Harry added, and John had to wince. The Saxon's were horrible people and worse parents. Rose, sensing the awkwardness in the air, looked to John.

"Mum and Dad, Geoffrey and Sylvia Noble, still live in our childhood home in Chiswick" John smiled, knowing that for all they were clueless about how up raise a genius like he was, they did love both him and Donna. "And our Gramps, Wilfred Mott, recently moved in too" John finished, Donna and he sharing fond looks. It was easier for them to love Wilf than their parents. Wilf always supported them and took the time to know and like their friends, and he'd done a better job of raising them than Geoffrey (who worked all the time to make ends meet) and Sylvia (who loved them but was hardened and a perfectionist in many ways) could. John knew it was partially his fault. Raising a genius like he was, a headstrong girl like Donna was wasn't the easiest job in the world, and expensive to boot. Donna snapped him or of his reverie like only she could.

"Oi! Spaceman! Are you listening to me or not?"

"Not" John grinned, fully accepting the slap that followed. She glared at him in a familiar way, and he couldn't help the silly grin on his face.

"Rose was asking how we got involved with the more clandestine sides of our lives" Donna informed him, her hazel eyes telling him that it was up to him how much they divulged.

"Four years ago" John began softly. "Harry and I were students at a academy for, well, geniuses. The Gallifreyan Academy. And, in some ways, it was the only real home we'd ever known. I love Donna and Jack more than my hearts could ever express, but for the first time in my life, I was challenged at the Academy, and I know Harry will tell you the same." He ran a hand through his hair, wanting to say this right. "Seven years after starting at the Academy, we were fifteen, and off on a field trip to the small town of Skaro on one of the Channel Islands." He turned haunted eyes to his friends, taking strength from Harry's grim confidence, Jack's unique strength, and Donna's fiery support. "We didn't know then what was happening there, we just - there was a part of us that just knew that something was off. Our classmates didn't know or care, too busy playing the politics of the academy. Too busy observing without doing anything. So, even though it would mean expulsion from the Academy, Harry and I broke into the main lab there. Like the rest of the town, it was run by a madman named Davros. He was, Rassilon Rose, he was experimenting on his own people. Turning them into horrible deformed _things."_

"Davros wanted to be the creator of a superior race" Harry explained, calm in a way John had never learned to be. Not about that. "He took his people and stripped them of all emotions. Then he put them in a machine and horribly mutilated them until they were totally mindless and under his control. And then he put them in giant metal contraptions like pepperpots." Harry cracked a grim smile. "It might be funny if we hadn't seen it with our own eyes."

"He named them the Daleks" John uttered the name like a curse. "And they tried to kill us all. So, we did the only thing we could. We forcibly evacuated as many of the innocents as we could - including our classmates - and we went back to the lab."

"Thei offered Davros a chance to stop his madness" Harry sighed. "Because he just has to hope for the best in everyone. And when Davros laughed in our faces, we used a formula I'd been toying with, and ran for our lives."

"The only problem was that all the boats were gone" John added, warming to the story now that the worst part was over. "So we took cover in an old sea cave and consoled ourselves to waiting for the authorities." He grinned manically. "We were lucky. UNIT came, and they saw potential in us. The next thing we know, Donna and Jack invited themselves to join."

"And Martha a year later" Jack grinned, forcibly injecting levity into the atmosphere.

"Martha Jones, second year medical student" Martha announced, joining them from the other booth. "They call me the Walker. Doctor? Room for one more?"

"I think so" John grinned brightly. "Rose Tyler, do you wanna join UNIT's best team?" Rose's smile was slow and beautiful.

"Where are we gonna go first?"

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**So, Rose knows now. Perhaps too soon, but if those two idiots don't learn to communicate early they'll be standing on a beach in Norway and they'll never say what needs to be said. Aaand that's enough about Doomsday... (Yes, I'm still bitter)**

**What did you think? The Davros/Dalek thing too far fetched? Did I miss any Doctorish scientific disciplines out?**

**Once again, thank you for reading.**

**Please review**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:**

**Hi everyone!**

**Christmassy sort of fluffiness this chapter, before even more Christmassy fluffiness next chapter.**

**Obviously, I still own nothing.**

**Please enjoy.**

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Chapter 3

Christmas was approaching fast, and with it the break for the holiday. Cambridge had officially broken up for the holidays a fortnight before, but the six students were still staying at the warehouse - Rose had moved in after seeing the place and finding out the common price of rent in the city (there was a reason John had bought a warehouse) - and working on their holiday assignments. John and Donna (and Jack and Harry) were on orders to come home for Christmas week, at least, and Martha was similarly instructed to come home, as was Rose. So, like any group of students, they were making the most of their freedoms before trudging home to London for the festive season.

The warehouse, dubbed the Vault by a romantic Jack, had two entrances (one in the North and one in the South), and had a staircase at each corner, leading up to a balcony/walkway area that housed the many bedrooms John had decided they needed. The ground floor was one huge room, partitioned - by whatever they could find - into various work areas, a huge kitchen, and a bigger common area/living room. John was in his makeshift observatory, tinkering with his telescope and muttering various astronomical terms to Jack, who was busy writing a long essay on the desk John used for his own. Harry was in his workshop downstairs, the Scissor Sisters just audible through the floor, while Donna was out on a date with Lance (John was trying to be supportive even if he hated the creep), and Martha and Rose were out shopping. "I think I really mean it this time, Doc" Jack announced tiredly. "I'm swamped with my aerodynamics work, I barely have time for history. And we're supposed to be on holiday."

"Jack" John began seriously. "You're my oldest friend. I know what you're capable of. Aerodynamics, that's your future, but this WW2 stuff - that's your passion." He offered him a smile. "You'd hate me if I let you give it up. Trust me, Jack. You can do this. You're brilliant." Jack looked over at him through tired blue eyes, but managed a confident grin.

"Yeah, you're right, Doc. I'm gonna stop feeling sorry for myself and kick these essays arse." He grinned brightly. "But first I'm going to go to the pub. You coming, Doc?"

"Can't" John sighed, laughing slightly. "I've lost Jupiter."

"How do you lose the biggest planet in the solar system?" Jack chuckled, prompting John to glare over the top of his telescope.

"Two words; Harold Saxon."

"Told you not to let him touch your telescope, Doc" Jack said sympathetically, clapping him on the shoulder on his way out of the observatory. "I'll be back by midnight!" John huffed a laugh, watching his friend walk out of the common area and through the cluttered atrium. Then he got back to the tedious task of recalibrating his telescope and finding Jupiter again. He wanted to be able to tell Wilf that he'd found it.

Come midnight, John was still up in his observatory. Donna had come back with Martha and Rose in tow, and were watching FRIENDS reruns in the living area. Harry had turned in half an hour before, and Jack was still out on the town. John wasn't that worried as he joined the female members of their gang. Jack was, regrettably, the biggest habitual flirt in the country , and he had a rather wide palate - to put it delicately. Another way to put it was that Jack went for anything with a postcode. A shrink had looked at him once and screamed intimacy issues - Jack had slept with her anyway. Rose, complete with adorable flannelette pyjamas, curled up next to him on the sofa, and John smiled softly down at her, relaxing into the warmth of the moment. His book on the chicken versus the egg theory (he had to read it for philosophy next term) was dispatched to a side table and promptly forgotten. Rose smiled gently up at him, and John grinned back, feeling at home more now than he ever had. Jack's return - complete with round of tea for them all - only compounded that. Yes, John finally felt that he had found the beginning of the family he never wanted to be without.

Waking up surrounded by paper, books, and useless wadded up essays could only mean that John had found his way back to his bedroom. With the best intentions in the world, he was working on multiple doctorates and never quite seemed to find the end of his work. But, just for now, he was confident that he could take the next week to relax. Only, that never seemed to happen. There was always some crisis arising that made it impossible to have the relaxing break he deserved. And, truthfully, he wouldn't have it any other way. Unfortunately, today was H Day. Home day. The day they packed up and headed back to their homes in London for the holiday. Harry was the lucky one; he had a flat all by himself in Tottenham Court Road. The rest of them were literally moving back in with their parents for at least a week. That included Jack, who was unfortunate enough to have his own room at the Noble residence. "Spaceman!" John winced; his sister was very shrill in the mornings. "Up! You promised Mum we'd by there by midday. And you've gotta drop everyone off."

"Except me" Harry piped up smugly. "I'm taking the train down tomorrow."

"Bastard" Jack shot without heat, foot tapping impatiently on the ground outside John's room. He yawned and ruffled his hair, pulling on the brown pinstripe suit he'd left out and pairing it with a light blue shirt and a black swirly tie that Donna had given him for his birthday. Then he grabbed his suitcase, suit-bags and stack of books and began the procession to his car. Then he grabbed a banana, helped everyone load up his car and hugged Harry goodbye until tomorrow.

"Merry Christmas" Harry called as the royal blue car pulled away, getting a rousing chorus in return.

In the way of many road trips between good friends, the drive to their first stop was passed with laughter, teasing and music chosen by the whole group. Rose was the first to leave them, directing them up a long drive to a beautiful white manor. The only blonde leapt from the car, gave them all fleeting hugs and dumped her bags on the ground. "Merry Christmas" Rose beamed, hugging them all once again.

"Merry Christmas" they all chanted, Jack leaning across John to honk the horn playfully. An older blonde in her forties stepped outside, hugging Rose tightly.

"Mum!" Rose's excited squeal was the signal to - as Jack put it - get the hell out of Dodge. Jack, the only person side from John ever allowed to drive his beloved car, pushed John into the passenger seat, and pulled the car out of the manor property.

"Martha Jones, your home's up next!"

"Step on it!"

Martha's brother Leo and her sister Tish helped unload the car, the three siblings warmly wishing them all the best for the holidays before John got behind the wheel and began the familiar drive home. The quiet little house on Mallard Street, Chiswick, was the first home John had ever known. It held a special place in his heart and always would, because it was where his mum and dad lived, and now Wilf lived there too. Their Gramps was outside filling the rubbish bin when they pulled up, Donna practically jumping out into his arms. "Gramps!" John left them to it, taking a deep breath before entering his childhood home.

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Christmas music played from the radio in the kitchen, the voices of his mum and dad following close behind. John hung his coat on the hook, and strolled into the kitchen. Sylvia was clipping coupons at the kitchen table, while Geoff tinkered with a bronze telescope on an oilcloth on the other end. John dropped a kiss on the top of his dad's head and hugged his stunned mother when she stood up to greet him. "Hello" he grinned warmly. "Missed you."

"Missed you too" Sylvia admitted, bemused as John put the kettle on. "How was school?"

"Tricky, but we're coping" John replied, happy to give Donna and Jack the time with Wilf. And it saved him from having to help carry Donna's luggage in. "How's the allotment?"

"Growing well" Geoff admitted cheerfully. "Wilf's going up the hill all the time with that telescope of his." John grinned proudly, glad to share that trait with his dad and Wilf. Donna popped her head in, hugged them all, mentioned something about her friend Nerys and left like a shot. Jack took a seat next to John, both of them helping to clip coupons while listening to Sylvia chatter about her friend Suzanne and her constant struggles with weight. John commented where it was appropriate, managing not to be rude and say that Suzanne's weight troubles were called sweets, chocolate and baked goods (even if it was true), and shared the familiar long-suffering looks with Jack, his dad and Gramps.

Four hours later, John and Jack were camped out on the couch, eating crisps and watching reruns of Hogan's Heroes on the telly. Like they did every time they were back home for a while. Luckily, Jack was baking his specialty already for tonight, so they could enjoy their downtime. And, Jack was a silver-tongued master, and could spin almost any tale to his advantage. It also helped that Geoff was sleeping in his chair, and that Sylvia had gone to join Donna on a spur of the moment shopping trip. John could reach old age and still not understand the fairer sex's affection for shopping. Jack tossed a pillow at him, but John remained unmoved, for once seeing the sense in letting his brain quieten while he relaxed. Jack grinned at him, blue eyes dancing, and proceeded to chant Shultz's catchphrase along with the apparently inept sergeant. Wilf let himself in not long afterwards, smiling at his grandson and honorary grandson. "I see the old traditions are going strong."

"Always, Wilf" Jack grinned, beckoning him in with the wave of his hand.

"What are traditions for?" John added wonderingly.

"Getting plastered every New Year's" Jack cheered, raising his mug in celebration.

"Blowing up buildings with Harry" John celebrated, earning a familiar look from his grandfather. Wilf was the only parental figure of theirs that knew what they did for UNIT, and that was only because he'd accidentally come across them while they were on a mission - secret codenames and all.

"I do wish you wouldn't indulge Harold's more destructive tendencies so often, Doctor" Wilf sighed, hiding a smile.

"It's either that or have him blow up the Vault" Jack offered, laughing when the Heroes outsmarted the Gestapo goons once again. John grinned fondly and peeled a banana, ignoring Jack's good-natured teasing. There was only more of that to come with dinner, his family eagerly teasing him about Rose. Like the genius he was, though, John just gave as good as he got.

Due to a snowstorm, and his own laziness, Harry's arrival was delayed by three days. At the end of them, he just swanned in and took up his place as the other surrogate son of the family. Harry charmed effortlessly, not shying away from distracting Sylvia when she got in one of her more overbearing moods. Despite it being everything John had ever known from his family, he still found himself turning to make a comment to Martha, or to share a moment with Rose. It was then he knew he was in trouble. Yep, there was no way that a goddess like Rose would look twice at him, and she shouldn't - not if she saw all the dark corners in himself. That was one of the things he, Harry and Jack had in common - dark corners, secrets, the feeling (incorrect in their cases) that they didn't deserve to be loved. John was selfish though, he needed his friends and family; they kept him from doing anything too stupid/suicidal.

Jack walked in and slapped John upside the head. "Enough stupid thinking, Doc. I'll tell Donna." John looked at him in horror.

"You wouldn't."

"Just try me" Jack promised darkly.

"That's cruel and unusual punishment, Harkness" Harry shuddered, taking a seat across from them. "Onto another cruel and unusual form of punishment, have any of you finished your Christmas shopping yet?" Jack glanced over at John, horror writ onto every feature of his, admittedly, handsome face.

"Shit" the American enunciated clearly. "Bugger. Bugger. Shit. Crap. Gimme ten minutes, then I'll be ready to go."

"Ten minutes to get ready?" Harry echoed disbelievingly. "What are you? A girl?"

"Two words, Saxon" Jack smirked. "John's. Hair."

"Point" Harry conceded, pulling a black leather jacket over his stripey seventies style shirt and black drainpipe trousers. Harry looked eclectic out of his bespoke suits. Jack trialled a tan suede jacket over his usual suspenders and blue shirt. And John pulled a dark blue suit jacket over jeans and a Ian Dury and the Blockheads t-shirt.

"John Noble's closet" Jack announced sadly. "Where fashion goes to die." John gave him a pointed look, silently picking up his car keys and kissing his mum's cheek on the way out.

"Off shopping, back soon!"

"Don't blow anything up!" Donna yelled back. "Dumbo!"

"Love you too!" John called, the truth not startling him in the least. She was his twin after all.

As a rule, when not involving spare parts or anything vaguely mechanical, John hated shopping with a fiery passion. So, he really should have expected something to happen. But even he would admit that the flamethrowing brass band came completely out of the blue. If they survived, it would be a funny story, though.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:**

**Hi all! And we're back again with some more fluffy, happy Doctor Who stuff. **

**I'm glad you're all still reading this.**

**This chapter is dedicated to all of you who know what it's like when your Christmas shopping just doesn't go right.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

One of the first things John learnt as a freelance member of UNIT was that literally everything happened to them. No exceptions. So, when psychotic Santa's in a brass band went all pyromaniac, they did so not ten feet from John, Harry and Jack. It all started quite innocently though.

Jack, being the only one who tolerated this kind of shopping, insisted - quite forcefully - that they go to a particular unique market in London. John was all for that, markets generally had something for everyone, except Harry, so theoretically they should be able to get most of their lists crossed off. As they walked into the market, a brass band dressed up like Santa's were playing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, setting the mood quite brilliantly in John's opinion. He grinned at his friends and pulled his trenchcoat tighter around him, quietly smug that the others had taken one step outside before folding and grabbing their traditional coats as well. Jack smiled charmingly at virtually everyone they passed - Jack was like that - and they paused to examine the stalls that caught their interest. John stopped at the jewellery stall, knowing the women in his life appreciated the finer things in life. He bought three different key pendants, intending to inscribe Donna, Rose and Martha's names on them, and he found an antique jewellery box he knew his mother would love. Jack had moved on with Harry, the two inspecting the racks of clothing. A burgundy leather jacket caught his eye, and he had a flash of seeing Martha in it, and knew it was perfect for her. That too went into his bag. His companions had bought a couple of things themselves and were moving back towards the brass Santa band. Something about the Santa's was off, but a flash of yellow and black caught his attention. Rose Tyler. Wearing a furry-fluffy winter coat, she looked every bit as beautiful as she had four days ago when he'd seen her last. There was a handsome dark skinned bloke their age with her, laughing at a comment she'd made. Of course Rose would have made a witty comment, she was brilliant. Doe brown eyes met soulful brown, bright grins stretching across both their faces. "Doctor!" Rose beamed, throwing herself into his arms as he swung her around.

"Hello" he grinned, still stunned by her presence.

"Hello" she echoed, matching his silly grin.

"You must be the Doctor" Rose's companion guessed, holding out his hand and nodding. "I'm Mickey Smith, Rose's oldest friend."

"Dr John Noble" John replied cheerfully. Manically cheerful was pretty much his default setting. Ask anyone, they'd all agree. "Nice to meet'cha."

"He's always like that" Rose grinned, bumping her shoulder into his. "Mickey's at Cambridge, Doctor. I kinda forgot to tell him I'd transferred." Her 'oops' expression was adorable.

"Cambridge?" John queried, thinking that Mickey did look vaguely familiar. "What's your major?"

"Computer sciences, minoring in engineering" Mickey announced proudly. "What about you?"

"Astrophysics" John said happily. "And astronomy, and philosophy. History, physics, horology, musical theory, chemistry, engineering." He cocked his head, enjoying the astonished look on Mickey's face. "Criminology, nuclear physics, mathematics, genetics, astrogeology, quantum mechanics." With the impeccable timing Jack always had, he chose that moment to run up to them.

"Hey Doc, hiya Rosie" Jack greeted breathlessly. "Can't talk, neither can you. We gotta run!"

"What?" John demanded articulately. Harry came running up a second later, just in time to hear. He pointed with a thumb over his shoulder.

"Pyromaniac Santa's!" Behind Harry, the brass band was torching the entire market - using their musical instruments as flamethrowers. John didn't so much as stop to think about it. He grabbed Rose's hand.

"Run!"

Mickey fell into step beside them, remarkably calm in the face of pyromaniac Santa's with with flamethrowing instruments. "Who are you people?" Mickey demanded even as they ran for their lives. Remarkably, Jack managed to give him the once over while they were legging it.

"Jack Harkness, they call me Captain."

"Not now, Jack" John, Harry and Rose groaned in unison. John glanced at Rose, silently asking 'can we trust him?'. Her nod was the only answer he needed.

"UNIT freelance" John explained, leading them around another corner. "We, uh, well, we stop really bad people from doing things that could destroy the city/country/world, depending on the day."

"Now it's just London, like it usually is" Harry added. "I'm Harry Saxon, codenamed the Master. And, Theta, where in Rassilon's name are you leading us?"

"To another entrance of the market, Koschei" John rolled his eyes. "Did you miss the flame-throwing Santa's?"

"How are you planning on stopping them, oh genius?" Harry asked sarcastically. John turned, while running, and smiled sheepishly at his best friend.

"I was thinking that I'd distract them and you'd all clobber them on the head."

"Good plan" Mickey praised, picking a piece of pipe off the ground. Jack rolled his eyes and did likewise, Harry going for a more traditional cricket bat from one of the stalls. Rose stayed stubbornly by John, and he didn't think he'd have it any other way.

"I'm Bad Wolf, by the way" Rose announced, John glancing to the side to see the words graffitied on the wall. She caught him looking and shrugged, a twinkle in her eyes.

"What am I, the Tin Dog?" Mickey demanded facetiously, clearly not knowing his audience.

"Yeah" the others decided.

"Welcome to the team, Mickey" Jack flirted, getting a 'man, I'm straight' look from Mickey. Jack's answering 'nobody is one hundred percent straight' smirk could have infuriated saints, but they had far more pressing matters to take care of. Rose leant gently into his space.

"How're we gonna distract them, Doctor?"

"He's gonna gab at 'em" Jack grinned, knowing him far too well. Despite the situation, a familiar teasing twinkle came into Jack's eyes. "You'd think that a genius would have a bit more sense than to gab at anyone with a pulse and ears, and Saxon usually does, but this one could gab for Great Britain."

"Sod off, Jack" John said politely, bouncing on the soles of his Converses. "Stay out of sight until we're ready for you. Ready, Rose?"

"Ready" Rose nodded resolutely.

"Then, there's only one word I can say" John announced, yep still grinning like an idiot.

"What's that?" Rose asked, happy to indulge him.

"Allons-y!"

"Rassilon" Harry groaned, but John was already bounding away.

"Historically, Santa's are warm, fuzzy, jolly beings, full of the Christmas spirit" John announced, strolling out in front of the pyromaniac Santa's with his hands deep in his jean pockets. "Now you're really, really not." He bounced in place, grinning like a maniacal loon. "Now that makes you the really thick ones. In fact, one might say that you're all Mr Thick Thick Thickety Thick from Thicktown, Thickania. And so're your dad's." He nodded once, decisively. "My sister, bless her, doesn't like Christmas much, but she makes an effort for me. Now me, I love Christmas. Like an excitable child, or a puppy. Jack, he's my oldest friend, he prefers the puppy option. I should probably take it as a compliment. Puppies are the only things he doesn't go for. Well, not yet at least." John paced back and forward, tugging on his ear curiously. Yep, he had them well and truly bamboozled. "But, anyway, back to you and your epic thickness. Now, you see, while you were all being thick and listening to me - which, if you listen to my sister, the Earthgirl, makes you pretty much as thick as it gets - my friends the Captain, the Master and the Tin Dog, were sneaking up behind you. Now, Bad Wolf!" Several of the Santa's got clobbered, and they all toppled into a pile, where Rose and Mickey tossed a net around them. John strolled up to the pile of formerly pyromaniac Santa's. "My name's the Doctor. It's Christmas. Nothing is going to happen to my city" Jack coughed pointedly. "Our city on our watch. So the next time you have the itch to set fire to a market, remember this. Remember us. And don't." He turned away, sweeping Rose into an exhilarated hug, giggling for no real reason at all.

"I've called UNIT in" Harry announced, walking over. "The Brigadier says good work, and that if we blew anything up we're paying for it."

"Such faith in us he has" Jack mourned, clapping his hand over his heart. Sirens sounded in the distance. "The local bobbies are coming. We shouldn't be here."

"Mum'll kill us if we come back like this" Rose sighed, tugging on her smoke-smelling locks. "Or if we get arrested."

"Luckily we live close by" John grinned without a trace of embarrassment. "And my family are more than used to us turning up in all states."

"How close by?" Rose wondered, brushing ash off his sleeve.

"Chiswick."

"Then Chiswick it is" Rose decreed, tugging them off in the direction of John's beloved car.

The quintet trooped into the Noble kitchen, bedraggled and exhausted. Donna took one look at them and put her hands on her hips. "Where the bloody hell have you been?"

"Shopping" John yawned, too tired to explain. "But look, we found Rose and Micketty-Mick Mickey." Mickey strutted up and grinned, still high on the adrenaline from their adventure.

"Mickey Smith, nice to meet you General Firepants." Jack burst into the slightly hysterical laughter of the bone tired, the others falling victim to it like patients on laughing gas. Donna just huffed at them and muttered about being too tired for this. Then she turned tail and went up to bed.

"Mickey, there's a sofabed in the den, that's yours" John announced tiredly. "Harry, you've got the guest room, since it's usually yours. Jack, you keep your room, Rose you can have mine. I'll sleep on the couch. It won't be the first time."

"But" Rose began, looking like she wanted to argue. Donna, bless her, just came back and put a hand on her arm.

"Dumbo's stubborn about this, Rose. Nothing you can do will change his mind." She hugged him briefly. "Night, Spaceman."

"Nighty night Donna."

"Night Doc" Jack mumbled, Harry carting him off while grumbling that they weren't the sodding Walton's.

Much like in the Vault, John's bedroom was royal blue with tones of midnight blue and gold. And, littered with half-finished technological doodah's that he was making. John knocked softly on the doorframe, smiling at the sight of Rose standing in the middle of his room, staring in confusion at the posters on his wall. Star Trek, Star Wars, pretty much any space set thing vied for space with his ceiling full of glow in the dark stars, and his bookshelves overflowing with books and knickknacks. And he had almost a whole wall devoted to pictures of his friends. He quietly got his pyjamas and bade goodnight to Rose, squeaking in surprise as he was pulled into Jack's room. "We're having a sleepover" Jack announced, pointing to Harry - who was sitting on the bed eating jelly babies.

"I gave Mickey the spare room" Harry explained. "It was insinuated that we hardly spend any time together, just the three of us."

"What?" John gaped at them, shaking his head. "You do know we're just going to crash, right Jack?"

"As you're always saying, Doc" Jack smirked, tossing a packet of gummy bears at him. "Live a little." The statement was punctuated by Jack flying a jelly aeroplane into his mouth - complete with noises.

"You're a class act, Jack" John grinned, biting back a groan as the American loaded Top Gun into the video player. Harry just levelled him with a glare that promised All The President's Men would be following. John just grinned widely, aware that his choice would make up for theirs; the Lion King was brilliant, after all.

The next morning, after being threatened with a slapping from Rose's mother Jackie (thankfully over the phone where he was safe from aforementioned bodily harm), John had the pleasure of watching almost all of his friends interacting with his family. Unfortunately, such things were not to last. Sylvia was going grocery shopping, Geoff was bound for his beloved allotment (mentioning something about harvesting winter vegetables), and Wilf was off to join his friends for a pre-Christmas outing. John was almost sad to see him go, the Silver Cloak were in some of John's fondest childhood memories, and he counted everyone from Minnie to Winston as members of his weird extended family. Just as they were off outside, Harry wanting to enjoy the morning somewhere he wouldn't get attacked by pyromaniac Santa's, the phone rang for Rose. The beautiful blonde waved them on, and John pulled on his trenchcoat, tugging Donna outside with him. He ignored her mock glare and listened with half an ear while his twin enumerated all the ways that he was a skinny Martian idiot that gave her papercuts every time she hugged him. John just grinned manically back, happy just to be surrounded by so many members of his chosen family - the people that had chosen him back.

Twenty minutes later, Rose stepped out into the backyard, joining the others by a park bench and swings hanging from a old oak tree. "Dad hung it up for us when we were five" John announced nostalgically, breaking away from the engineering debate he, Harry and Mickey were having. Rose smiled warmly, joining John on the swings as she cocked her head to the side.

"What's that smell?" John bent down and plucked a blade of grass.

"Apple grass" he chirped with a silly grin. Rose took the offered blade and wore a grin to match John's own.

"Apple grass" she echoed excitedly.

"The numpty did an experiment on the grass when we were seven" Donna explained, fondly exasperated. "He tried for banana, but it didn't work, so he used apples instead."

"You're just jealous that people bought his crazy grass seed" Harry tossed out, casual today in jeans and a T. Rex t-shirt. John coughed, trying to get the topic moved on as soon as possible. Mickey looked from John to Harry, forehead crinkling as he worked something out.

"You two are rich, aren't you? Pete Tyler kind of rich?" John scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Sooner or later, they always worked it out, and it usually changed things.

"Yes" Harry agreed unashamedly. "We came into small fortunes after we left the Academy, and we played the stock market for a while, significantly increasing our wealth. Though Theta's a couple million richer."

"Cool" Mickey squeaked, swallowing once. Then he looked around at them all and grinned. "So, you know you're buying chips for the rest of university, right?" John gave a startled huff of laughter but grinned, knowing he was pretty much going to do that anyway.

"We should call Martha" Jack suggested in the comfortable lull that followed. "And go up the hill. Really make this a party."

"You have strange ideas about what constitutes a 'party', Harkness" Harry observed, relaxing back into his black leather jacket. "But it's not the worst idea you've ever had."

"Do I need to mention Cardiff, Harry?" Jack smirked, eyes twinkling like Christmas lights. Harry shot him a dark glare, bringing to mind the saying of 'if looks could kill'.

"No!" Rose and Mickey turned to the others for an explanation, but nobody offered a word. John bit back a chuckle, instead returning to the house to call Martha.

The seven Cambridge students trooped into an out of the way coffee house, shivering and stomping from the cold. "Let's go up the hill, Jack said" Harry ranted sarcastically, as soon as warmth had returned to their extremities. "It'll be fun, a party, Jack said." He shot an icy glare at the unamused aeronautics major. "It was bloody freezing up the hill! You got us caught in a sodding snowstorm!"

"Don't be so dramatic, princess" Jack rolled his eyes. "It was only a bit of snow."

"Only a bit-" Harry trailed off disbelievingly. "Are you fu-"

"That's quite enough of that" Martha announced primly. "If I wanted arguing, I'd be at home. Mum and Dad are getting divorced. Even Tish and Leo are keeping out of the way." Mickey winced sympathetically.

"Why am I even bothering with my history degree?" Jack wondered suddenly, sipping on his coffee. "I'm going into aeronautics."

"Because you love it, Jack" Rose smiled, patting his arm. "I'm taking Art History and I'm only planning on being an artist."

"Doctor" Martha stated, raising her hand.

"Yes?" John grinned, laughing when Martha playfully pushed him off his chair.

"Dumbo wants to start a business" Donna announced proudly. "And I'm going to be his COO. He's all ready to be CEO, founder and president of his own company."

"It'll go with all the other titles I'll have by then" John grinned cheekily.

"I'm going into weapons design" Harry said to no surprise whatsoever. Everyone knew Harry and his affection for blowing things up. It was just the logical progression. Of course he'd make money out of it.

"Like Donna said, starting a company, R&D I think" John shrugged, knowing he'd work out the details closer to the time. "What about you, Mickey?"

"Me and my best friend Jake are part-time DJ's on a local radio station at Cambridge, and we want to do something along those lines" Mickey informed them proudly. "But bigger. We'll work it out." John felt a surge of affection for them all.

"You're all brilliant, you really are." Donna rolled her eyes at him, affectionately muttering something about spacemen.

"Shut up" Rose grinned, eyes twinkling at him. John grinned right back, happy just to be here with his friends. Rose got a sheepish expression on her face. "That reminds me..."

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**Thanks for reading!**

**Comments are chips!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:**

**Hi all! So sorry for the gap in posting. Exam revision, but i don't need to bore you with the excuses.**

**Here is chapter 5, please enjoy.**

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On the evening of Christmas Eve, John stood in front of the hallway mirror, fiddling with a bow tie. Jack and Harry stood to either side of him, also attempting to tie up their ties. "Damn penguin suits" Jack grumbled, all thumbs with his tie. "I feel like a bloody waiter in this."

"If it's any consolation, Harkness" Harry smirked, perfectly dapper. "You look like one too." Jack's expression turned dark.

"One day, Saxon, one day." He looked across at John and sighed. "Nothing good ever happens to us when you're in that suit, Doc." John rolled his eyes.

"Oh would you relax, Jack?"

"Relax, he says" Jack announced sarcastically. "I still remember New York. And Cardiff."

"Harkness, I swear to Rassilon" Harry growled menacingly. "If you don't shut up about bloody Cardiff, I'll burn your coat." Donna stomped down the stairs in a black sparkling dress and killer heels.

"Oi, you three morons! Car, yesterday!"

"We're waiting on the limo, Firebird" Harry muttered, glancing pointedly at his watch. "You did remember to book one, right Thei?"

"It's waiting outside, Koschei" John sighed, putting the finishing touches to his hair. "Come on, allons-y!"

* * *

John hummed a made-up tune as their limousine joined the ranks of luxury cars outside the Tyler Manor. Jack drew a deep breath in through his nose, Harry muttering unpleasantries under his breath. Donna just wore her typical long-suffering expression, probably already pretending that she didn't know them. For some reason, she did that a lot when they were all at parties together. And they were always on their best behaviour. Harry leaned forward, light brown eyes twinkling. "Just so you know, Theta, if this goes pear-shaped, I'm getting out first."

"And I'll be booking it outta there right after him" Jack agreed cheerfully.

"Of course you will" John grinned, vibrating with excitement and bottled energy. "Can't we just get out now?"

"No" Donna glared, keeping up with John a full-time occupation. Everyone knew how he got after long times in enclosed spaces. "Not much longer now, Spaceman, okay?"

"Fine." John slumped dramatically back into his seat, definitely not sulking no matter what his friends thought.

Finally they reached the entranceway, where a man was waiting by a podium. Pretentious little twerp. Harry handed over their invitations (which they'd naturally filled in themselves - as if they could make Rose do it), and they waited to be announced. "Mr Jack Harkness, Miss Donna Noble, Lord Harold Oakdown Saxon, and Dr Lord John Lungbarrow Noble."

"Doctor!" John beamed as a blonde angel in a pink dress leapt into his arms.

"Hello" he grinned, lifting her off the ground with his hug.

"Hello" she beamed back, bouncing almost as much as John. "You've got to meet my mum and dad and my brother Tony."

"Tony the terror?" John winked, Jack flirting with anything that moved behind them. "Jack."

"What? Can't I say hello to anyone?"

"No" John replied, ignoring his sulking friend. "You were saying, Rose?"

"He's on his best behaviour tonight" Rose grinned. "It's nearly Christmas and he wants his presents."

"Boy's got his priorities straight" Harry muttered, champagne flute in hand.

"Shut up, Harold."

"Don't get snitty with me, Harkness" Harry warned conversationally. "I'm taking mechanical engineering, remember?" Jack gave him an unimpressed glare.

"I'm quivering."

"You should be" John retorted cheerfully. "He does want to go into weapons development."

"And doesn't sing Sex Bomb when he's drunk" Harry added, smirking at Jack's indignant squawk.

"You lot scare me sometimes" Mickey announced, shuddering. "Sorry I'm late, Rose. Jake called me from Newcastle, says he wishes he was here."

"Of course he does, we're awesome" Jack grinned, teeth flashing. "Who's Jake?"

"Someone I'd like to introduce you to when we get back to Cambridge" Mickey replied, nodding to John.

"Move in" John said dismissively, grinning brightly as Rose dragged him towards the dance floor. Mickey spluttered after them, while Jack and Harry chuckled.

* * *

Dancing with Rose was brilliant. Neither of them took it seriously, both just having fun and singing along because they didn't care what people thought of them. No one looking at them would think that they were two of the most feared people by criminals. Actually, nobody looking at them would think that one was an heiress and the other was a multi-millionaire genius. Out of the corner of his eye, John saw Harry rolling his eyes and looking like he'd cheerfully murder Jack. So, a pretty normal evening for them. Rose followed his eyes and burst into peals of laughter. Rose glanced over his shoulder, face losing some of its radiant sparkle. "Time to meet my Mum and Dad." John forced a smile onto his face, sending a very pointed look at Harry and Jack, who grabbed Donna and trudged over to them. "All of you together, Doctor?" Rose teased, with a tongue in teeth grin. "Good call."

"I'm not a generation defining genius for nothing, Rose Tyler" John sniffed, pretending to be offended.

"Well, something had to make up for the fact that you're a skinny Martian paper cut" Donna quipped, John making a face but otherwise ignoring his sister. Rose grabbed his hand, dragging him over to a happy-looking couple by the staircase. The older blonde woman they'd seen when they'd dropped Rose off at Christmas was wearing a black dress that sparkled as she moved, while her husband was strawberry blonde with blue eyes and a well tailored suit, although Harry's was still of an obviously better quality.

"Mum? Dad?" Rose spoke up timidly. "These are the people I was telling you about. This is Jack Harkness," Jack smiled charmingly and made a comment about how lovely it was to finally meet Rose's parents - only with more flirtation. "Lord Harry Saxon," Harry inclined his head, shaking hands and smiling personably. "And that's Donna Noble, and her brother the Doctor."

"Your daughter is one in a million" Donna said, echoing what they'd all said before. "It takes a special kind of person to put up with this skinny idiot without running out of patience."

"Donna" John protested, glaring at his sister. "It's brilliant to finally meet you, Mr and Mrs Tyler. Rose says you're the best parents anyone could ask for." He smiled wistfully, briefly looking at Harry and Donna. "Must be nice, although nearly effortless with a daughter like Rose."

"Pete, Jackie" Jackie smiled, accent the same South London sound as Mickey and Rose. "You're Rose's friends, and Mr and Mrs Tyler still sounds like Pete's parents." Pete nodded absently, looking shrewdly at John.

"You seem familiar" Pete said, at the same time as Jackie made a comment about John's parents not really naming him 'the Doctor'.

"We dropped Rose off for the Christmas break" John suggested, grinning but not bouncing at Donna's look. "And no, they didn't. I'm Dr John Noble, thus the Doctor." Pete clicked his fingers, like a lightbulb had just gone on in his brain.

"Apple grass."

"Yep!" John grinned, popping the 'p' as was his habit. "First thing I invented that worked that had actual interest in it." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "For some reason, Mum and Dad never really appreciated my attempts to build a time and space machine in our shed." John pouted briefly, Harry sending him a look of commiseration.

"It was a good plan, Thei, just doomed to failure." He clasped a hand over his heart solemnly. "We're unappreciated geniuses." Jackie, who seemed to have taken a liking to them already (probably because Rose and Mickey had talked them up prior to their arrival - and because they were all on their best behaviour), had turned curious at the mention of John's academy nickname. His and Harry's eyes met, a single communication quickly held. After meeting them, they both knew that Pete would run a background check on them, just to ensure Rose's safety, but the Academy wouldn't show up; it officially never existed, except for those people who knew it did. The question was, did they trust Rose's parents enough to tell them? Harry's eyes said that he trusted John, and John trusted Rose, who clearly trusted her parents. So, John decided to trust that Rose's parents were trustworthy; after all, John liked them immediately, and that happened once in a blue moon.

"Thei is short for Theta, which is short for Theta Sigma, which was my old Academy nickname" John explained quickly, letting his gob run away from him.

"I'm Kosch, which is Koschei" Harry added crisply. "And that was my Academy nickname. We attended the Gallifreyan Academy way up in the arse-crack of Scotland, where no sane person except us geniuses would go." He quirked an odd expression. "If you want to know more about it, I suggest you find the UNIT mainframe, I'll set you up with it before we go tonight, if you like."

"No need" Pete said, voice oddly tight. "I know about the incident at the Academy. I didn't think anyone-"

"We did" John interrupted quickly. "And one day, we might even come to terms with that."

"On a frigid day in hell" Harry retorted, jaw tight. There was a reason they didn't like talking about the incident, as Pete had called it. The guilt was still as raw as the day it was inflicted. All those people, all that potential, wiped out because he wasn't fast enough, good enough, smart enough. "Theta" Harry said sharply. "Let's not drive ourselves insane tonight, okay? It's Christmas." John nodded eagerly - he did love Christmas; even Donna made an effort for him when it was Christmas. John looked hopefully at the Tyler's, eyes twinkling merrily again.

"Do you have any bananas?"

* * *

That was how they all ended up on the dancefloor, holding banana daiquiris while Winter Wonderland was played by the live band. Martha joined them with a fresh pitcher, expression telling them not to mention the annual Jones family Christmas Eve party. Tony popped up briefly, worn out and yawning, and said a soft goodnight to Rose before shuffling off to bed. At about eleven, they all bundled up in their warm winter coats, and dashed outside, for some reason thinking it a brilliant idea to build a campfire and start roasting marshmallows. Donna was bundled so far into her hooded coat that they had to repeat what they were saying louder almost every time. Jack, of course, had smuggled out a bottle of brandy, which was making the rounds in the opposite direction to the bag of marshmallows. "This is one of the stupidest ideas we've ever had" Harry announced, shuffling closer to the fire, even though he and John were arguably the most acclimated to the cold weather. Wintering in freezing Scotland for the best part of eight years did tend to help in that aspect.

"Oh, live a little, Koschei" John grinned, ignoring the odd tingling in his fingertips.

"Boys" Martha chided, sitting nearly on top of the flames. "This was a great idea, just not when it's twenty below zero and our extremities are freezing. I'd rather not get hypothermia for Christmas."

"Well put" Donna agreed, all but leading the charge back into the warmth of the Vitex Manor. John and Harry rolled their eyes, disposing of the fire with an ease born of repetition.

"You know, Thei" Harry mused. "I think we've just found more of our family. The one we always said we'd find."

"How do you think Pete found out about the Academy?" John asked, Harry himself having locked away all the information. Harry shook his head, shrugging.

"Any number of ways, Thei. Maybe Pete knows someone at UNIT, maybe he was around at the time, maybe he knew someone there. There's too many variables, Doctor. For now, let's just have Christmas and not let the memories creep back in." John hummed agreeably, he and Harry running back to the Manor, breath fogging in the air.

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**Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:**

**So, like an idiot I forgot to back up my old computer when I bought my new one. My old laptop had all my files for this on it, and I never transferred them across. In short, the hard drive crashed about two months ago and I lost it all. I've been piecing it back together in between my writer's block and real life stuff ever since.**

**As I've said, I love this story and this universe (of which I have other stories written on my new laptop), so you will be getting more chapters. And more stories in the future. Just bear with me and my unreliable updstiup for a while.**

**Thank you for your patience and understanding. And please enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

The weak rays of the morning sun broke though the gap in John's midnight blue curtains, and caught the dust motes dancing in the air. Sprawled inelegantly across the bed, was John, pinstriped pyjamas just visible from under mountains of royal blue sheets and blankets. Donna, wearing dark purple flannel pyjamas and a dark green fuzzy robe and fluffy pink slippers, stood in the doorway, her foot tapping in fond irritation. John stared at her with half-open eyes, smiling happily at his twin. First thing Christmas morning was, by tradition, theirs. Donna yawned and climbed onto John's bed, tugging a loose blanket over herself. John sat up, forcing his uncooperative arms into his dark blue dressing gown. "Morning Donna" John yawned, reaching out to fumble through his cluttered bedside cabinet for his morning banana.

"Morning, Spaceman" Donna replied, bumping companionably against him. She tossed a small package wrapped cheerfully in Christmas green onto his lap, watching carefully as John ripped it open.

"Donna" John breathed, eyes fixed on the object he'd uncovered. A tiny crystal police box no bigger than the length of his hand sat nestled in soft paper, the words 'Noble Corporation International' etched clearly into the doors. "It's brilliant, it's brilliantly brilliant." It really was brilliant. His brash, loudmouthed twin sister had given him an actual tangible piece of his future; it was here, in his hands.

"Yeah, yeah" Donna brushed off his thanks in the typical Noble way. "Don't get all soppy on me, Spaceman."

"Oh, heaven forbid, Donna" John grinned, his face starting to hurt from how hard he was smiling. He reached blindly to his beside cabinet, giving a triumphant 'ha!' as his hand closed around a small box wrapped in Christmas red and green. His hand rubbed the back of his neck as his sister made grabby hands for the package, smiling at the small size. Donna was never one for big presents, preferring the more personal touch to gifts. Much like with John himself, the wrapping paper didn't stand a chance, torn open and thrown off to one side - resting jauntily on a half built telescope by the desk. One of these days he'd get around to finishing it, but not today. A frown wrinkled Donna's forehead as she looked into the small box.

"Keys?" Donna asked blankly, pulling them out. Like a child on Christmas Day , Donna's face lit up with glee. "Car keys? You got me a car? I bloody love you!"

"It's not much, just a little blue Peugeot, but-" Donna slapped his arm, harder than usual from excitement.

"Shut up, you Dumbo! It's perfect!" His twin threw his arms around him, for once managing to convey everything without words.

* * *

"There should not be this much yelling this early on Christmas morning!" Jack's sleep slurry American accent was heard before the aeronautics major slipped into the room. "What are you yellin' about, Firepants?"

"The great big outer space Dumbo bought me a car!"

"About time too" Jack grumbled. "Your driving is reckless at the best of times, Doc, even worse when Donna's nagging at you."

"Oi!"

"Oh, it's the Noble's in stereo" Harry drawled, leaning on the door behind Jack. "By the way, Thei, we're going to New Zealand in the summer."

"Why New Zealand?"

"You have no sense of the romantic, Theta" Harry sniffed, head shaking. "Come on, Wilf's got breakfast ready."

"Yes!" Jack pumped the air and ran for the stairs, eager to get to the kitchen and the spread that Wilf had rustled up. Donna cradled her new keys in her hands and hummed a Christmas song as she walked out of the room. Harry's eyebrows skyrocketed.

"Rassilon, Theta, it's a bloody Christmas miracle."

"Maybe you and Jack can not fight for half an hour today, and really make this a party" John muttered, shoving his feet into his slippers. Harry gave him the finger, but grabbed his robe tie and towed him downstairs. "It's Christmas , Kosch, please try. For me?"

"I hate you" Harry grumbled, but his eyes twinkled like Christmas fairy lights.

"Yeah, love you too, Koschei."

"Easy for you to say, Doctor, you're not the one trapped with Harkness-"

"Never say trapped, Harry" John chided, wagging his finger at his friend. "You're just inconveniently circumstanced."

"Very bloody inconveniently" Harry agreed wholeheartedly, pasting a smile on for Wilf. "Good morning and Merry Christmas, Grandfather!"

"Oho! Merry Christmas, my boy!"

"Compliments of the season" Jack added, swallowing a mouthful of bacon.

"Seasons greetings" Donna smirked, never to be outdone.

"Peace on Earth and good will to all men" John finished, Harry and Jack sharing a look.

"Chance'd be a fine thing" Jack muttered, doubtlessly thinking of last Christmas, and the Christmas before that. Like it was John's fault that UNIT always had a crisis that needed their particular talents on Christmas Day. The Brigadier had promised this year was theirs though, and John was holding him to it.

* * *

A knock on the door had John immediately running to the door with a bright grin. He didn't care who it was, he loved spreading the Christmas cheer. "Merry Christmas!" Standing on the snowy doorstep were three brilliantly familiar people.

"Room for three more?"

"Always" John bubbled, hugging Martha, fist-bumping Mickey, and sweeping Rose up into a feet swinging hug. "You're in time for breakfast. Gramps cooked."

"Yes" Martha smiled happily. "Wilf's cooking!"

"Martha Jones, voice of a Nightingale!" Mickey and Rose followed him into the kitchen, sighing at the warmth. Wilf greeted them all cheerfully, Harry managing a nod and a wave of his fork. "Don't worry about Saxon, he's useless until after breakfast."

"And Harkness is useless until after lunch" Harry retorted, Donna slapping them both upside the head. John winced sympathetically , knowing all too well how it felt to be on the receiving end of Donna Noble's head-slaps.

"So, what brings you three to Chiswick on Christmas morning?" Jack wondered curiously.

"Mum and Dad were fighting again" Martha sighed, toying with a baked bean.

"Gran's visiting friends" Mickey added cheerfully, probably too cheerfully, but John understood lightening the mood. It was what John did all the time; manically cheerful was his default setting for a reason, after all. Even if it was his own dark and oftentimes mercurial mood he was trying to lighten.

"Mum, Dad and Tony had to leave for France on short notice, something about a factory and Zeppelins" Rose shrugged, absently peeling a banana John had foisted upon her. "I don't know. Dad suggested that you wouldn't mind if we came for Christmas. You don't mind us being here, do you?"

"Not at all, not even a little bit" John babbled happily. As if he could ever mind Rose Tyler being near him, she was his brilliant pink and yellow girl, his Rose, his precious girl. "I love a large gathering, the more the merrier."

"You've heard of Dr John Noble, the Oncoming Storm" Jack teased smugly. "This is Dr John Noble, the excitable Christmas puppy." John glowered over at his oldest friend.

"Piss off, Jack." Jack chuckled merrily.

"And mature, too."

"Harkness, I'm warning you" Harry growled, holding his knife dangerously. Harry could be somewhat homicidal in the mornings; as they all knew from living with the man. Only someone with the self preservation instinct of a lemming , or Jack Harkness, would tickle that particular sleeping dragon. It was testament to how used to each other they were that none of them so much as batted an eye at John dipping a banana in jam. Donna let out a sigh, rescuing her tea before it could become contaminated with bits of her twins jam and banana.

"Why are we bickering?" Rose wondered brightly. "It's Christmas morning!"

"Oh, Rassilon" Harry groaned, hiding his head in his hands. "Another bloody one."

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying Christmas, Koschei" John chided, grinning widely. Of course his brilliant Rose loved Christmas too, she was brilliant.

"Shut up and eat your breakfast" Donna ordered them all, pointing a fork severely at them. "Mum and Dad will kill us if we wake them before ten."

"Or Sylvia will deliberately add brussel sprouts to the menu" Jack shuddered, John wincing in shared commiseration. Rassilon, he hated brussel sprouts; evil things trying to take over the world, one Christmas dinner at a time.

"And that ladies and gents, is your Christmas day conspiracy theory with Dr John Noble" Jack announced like a radio DJ. John pouted as he realised he had said that aloud. Harry stabbed Jack with a fork. "Jesus fuck, Harold! That bloody hurt."

"Yes" Harry agreed pleasantly. "I should think it did. Now be a good man and shut the bloody hell up for five minutes."

* * *

Ten minutes of playful bickering later, Wilf ushered them into the living room. The tree shone brightly full of lights, and colourful presents rested under the branches. Donna gaped at the sheer volume. "Spaceman, tell me you didn't-"

"Don't be so daft" John dismissed , grinning. "They're not all from me."

"One most of them, eh Doctor?" Rose asked with her usual tongue-in-teeth grin. John grinned unashamedly back, bouncing a little in place. Wilf stood back and watched the two with a smile on his face. That girl would be a perfect granddaughter-in-law.

"Has anyone opened any presents yet?" Mickey asked curiously.

"Donna gave me a little crystal police box" John beamed brilliantly. "And I gave her a car."

"A blue Peugeot" Donna said proudly. "My own car."

"That's set the standard for the presents this year, Doc" Jack quipped, swirling his coffee around in its mug.

"You'll be lucky" Donna quipped, taking her usual seat by the fire. John stretched out his long legs by the hearth, waving his hand for Jack to hand out all the presents. It was Jack's responsibility, something he did to feel included in the Noble family; which he most certainly was. He was as much a part of the family as Harry was, or Wilf. John puttered around the piano, absently picking out notes. Harry was the first to recognise the tune. To be fair, John had never pretended not to love the Lion King. The Lion King was brilliant. Donna snapped her fingers, pointing back at the spot John had recently vacated. They hadn't even opened up the presents yet, and John was already feeling enclosed. Jack tossed a gift at John, making him duck to avoid getting clobbered.

"All done" Harry guessed, eyes twinkling despite the irritating presence of Jack. It really was a Christmas miracle. John grinned brilliantly at their new guests.

"Mickey, Martha, Rose, you go first."

"We couldn't" Martha denied, shaking her head.

"Just go ahead. The Doc won't stop whining until you do" Jack told them, John making a face back at him. It was occasionally annoying, having someone who knew him so well. Unfortunately, it was incredibly useful the rest of the time, so John had to put up with the times it was annoying.

"Come on you brilliant people" John grinned, happy to exist in the moment just for now. Undoubtedly, the sadness and self-hatred would come creeping back in, but that was then and now was Christmas. He loved this time of year more than anything else, and enjoyed being able to share that with his friends. Martha reluctantly nodded, accepting the honour that the family forced upon them.

* * *

"Excellent haul this year" Jack announced quite some time later. He clapped his hands together, once again drawing attention to the rather spiffy (if John did say so himself) watch that 'Santa' had brought him. Regardless of whatever annoyance Harry regarded the resident American with, it never impacted on his talent for excellent gift giving. John was himself rather fascinated by the miniature orrery that Rose had given him - it was a simple and thoughtful gift that he absolutely adored. It was brilliant! But John didn't love Christmas for the presents, he loved it for the time he got to spend with his friends and family - until some crisis at UNIT inevitably forced them to claim prior obligations and leg it off down the road. Fortunately, their household was one that indulged in Christmas dinner during the evening, which meant they were sometimes back in time for the meal. In an attempt to look busy (lest they be dragged into the dreaded meal preparation), they gathered before the telly to watch a medley of Christmas films. John was engrossed in a debate with Jack about whether or not Die Hard was a Christmas film (of course it wasn't, Jack was an idiot), when Harry excused himself with a phone call. That was odd. Harry loved enumerating all the ways that Jack was the most collosal idiot ever to draw breath, his answering a call in the middle of his prime Christmas opportunity was decidedly shifty. When Harry came back in, his grim expression stopped the friendly bickering in its tracks.

"UNIT?" John asked, not really needing Harry to reply. At this time of day, it could only be UNIT to make Harry look like that.

"Yeah" he agreed grimly. "Mauve alert."

* * *

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